Who is Verdy? The Osaka designer behind Visty and Wasted Youth
Back in 2008, a teenager from Osaka co-founded a tiny visual design collective called VK Design Works with a friend. He earned his nickname from a local football jersey, sketched punk-band flyers for ¥10,000, and handed out his first graphic tees as personal gifts. Nobody outside Osaka was watching. Today, that same person, known simply as Verdy, serves as Creative Partner of Human Made, has designed stages for BLACKPINK’s world tours, and counts Tim Cook, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams among the regulars at his Tokyo office.
Verdy is a Japanese graphic artist, born in 1987 in Osaka, who founded the streetwear labels Wasted Youth (2016) and Girls Don’t Cry (2017), and created the characters Vick and Visty. His career moved from venue posters to gallery walls, and his collectibles now trade at multiples of their original retail prices across the global secondary market.
Verdy Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Full alias | VERDY (mononym) |
| Born | 1987, Osaka Prefecture, Japan |
| Moved to Tokyo | 2012 |
| Design collective | VK Design Works (co-founded 2008) |
| Wasted Youth founded | 2016 |
| Girls Don’t Cry founded | 2017 |
| First solo exhibition | RISE ABOVE, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo (Nov 19 – Dec 9, 2021) |
| Visty original plush edition size | 500 units, ¥62,000 retail (approximately $465 USD at time of release) |
| G-Shock collab model | DW-5900WY-2JR, released December 2022, original retail ¥15,400 (~$112 USD) |
| Notable brand collaborators | Nike SB, Human Made, Levi’s, Casio G-Shock, Kenzo, Dover Street Market, BLACKPINK |
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From Osaka Graphics to a Global Name: How Verdy Got Here
Verdy was born in 1987 in Osaka Prefecture and first moved to Tokyo in 2012, where he worked as part of the illustrator and graphic design group VK Design Works. Before that Tokyo chapter, he got his start at the Osaka Design School and co-founded VK Design Works with fellow artist K.I.T. in 2008.
The rumor is that he earned his alias because he often wore the Verdy Kawasaki football club jersey during his Osaka years. That detail matters: it tells you everything about how Verdy thinks. Identity, for him, starts with a logo, a color, a jersey you wear every day.
He honed his craft by designing venue calendars, music festival posters, and artist flyers, eventually metamorphosing into a multi-hyphenate: from graphic designer and visual artist to cultural tastemaker. Meanwhile, Verdy draws influence from his background in punk music, citing bands like Minor Threat and Gang Green. That punk DNA never left. It runs straight through Wasted Youth.
Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry: Two Labels, One Philosophy
Wasted Youth was founded in 2016, and Girls Don’t Cry followed in 2017. In fact, most people assume the two brands share an aesthetic. They do not. That contrast is the point.
Wasted Youth: Punk Energy Made Wearable
Verdy hit upon the phrase “Wasted Youth” when he struggled to find his own originality, and the name means that the time and youth you spend on culture and life itself is not wasted. In practice, the message of Verdy with Wasted Youth is that “nothing in the journey to get here was a waste.” The brand carries a skate-and-punk attitude: raw typography, anarchic motifs, and the kind of graphic confidence that gets a second look in Harajuku and downtown Los Angeles equally.
For new collectors, the Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR Watch (€240) is the most accessible entry point into this world. Casio’s G-Shock teamed up with Wasted Youth to launch the DW-5900WY-2JR model in a limited-edition capsule collaboration, alongside co-branded hoodies and T-shirts. The collab edition features a simple and timeless color scheme of navy blue and white. The front of the watch displays a bowtie-like monogram pattern with co-branding details, and when the EL backlight is switched on, Wasted Youth’s initials are revealed on the digital clock face. Beyond that, the case for the watch emulates the look and feel of a beer can, citing influences from Wasted Youth’s previous collaboration with Budweiser. That kind of layered storytelling, referencing one collab inside another, is what separates Verdy objects from generic branded merchandise.
Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR Watch (Japan Limited Edition)
The Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR Watch is a Japan-exclusive collaboration that blends Verdy’s iconic streetwear vision with the rugged DNA of G-Shock. Built on the classic DW-5900 silhouette, it features a deep navy case and a glow-in-the-dark dial covered in the signature Wasted Youth monogram.
The EL backlight reveals a hidden “W.Y.” logo, adding an interactive detail that elevates its collectible appeal.
Girls Don’t Cry: A Personal Brand That Went Global
Verdy created Girls Don’t Cry t-shirts as a present for his wife when they went to Los Angeles for the first pop-up of Wasted Youth in 2017. The phrase “Girls Don’t Cry” was for his wife, who accounts for an important part of his life: not only the good, but also the bad things that happen in everyday life. Also, that personal origin story explains why the brand hits differently. Within three years of its inception, Girls Don’t Cry linked up with Nike SB, Carrots, Undercover, and Human Made, receiving the co-sign from streetwear icons Jun Takahashi and NIGO.
Visty: The Character That Unlocked a New Market
Verdy’s two characters, Vick and Visty, deserve their own section because they now drive a separate collectibles ecosystem. Think of Vick as the founding character, and Visty as the evolution.
The Birth of Visty
Visty is a contrast to Vick, who was a strictly black and white panda-rabbit mix. For Visty, Verdy wanted to create a colourful character to cheer people up during the tough times of the pandemic. The “Rise Above” exhibition ran from November 19 to December 9, 2021, at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo. This was Verdy’s first solo show. Iconic original characters Vick and Visty appeared in various shaped canvas paintings, along with three-dimensional pieces, with production aided by Kaikai Kiki’s studio.
The original Visty plush that launched at that show set the template for everything that followed. Visty is made from several different materials: its arms, legs, and head come in a unique fur fabric, while its belly and feet feature a ribbed suede material. Notable details include Visty’s bright white eyes, metallic silver claws, and two large front teeth. The original edition size: limited to 500 units, sold via lottery at Kaikai Kiki Gallery on December 9, 2021, priced at ¥62,000 (tax included).
Additionally, Verdy has stated his long-term ambition for the character clearly: he envisions Visty becoming a staple character within this generation, similar to Mickey Mouse or a Looney Tunes character. That is not a throwaway quote. In addition, it signals a deliberate IP-building strategy, one that new collectors should take seriously.
Explore the full collection
Figures, art toys & limited editions — shipped across Europe from France.
Collecting Verdy Today: Where to Start and What to Know
Verdy’s output covers three tiers: wearables, vinyl and plush figures, and fine art editions. For most new collectors, figures and accessories hit the sweet spot of accessibility and long-term significance.
The Visty Plush: Edition Sizes and Variants
| Product | Edition | Material | Price at Rare Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verdy x Rise Above Visty Plush (Pastel Multi) | /500 | Mixed fur fabric and ribbed suede | €1,100 |
| BoTT x Verdy Visty Vinyl Figure | Limited collaboration | Vinyl | €382 |
| VERDY Visty x Babylon Art Toy Black | Limited collaboration | Vinyl | Browse at Rare Inventory |
The Verdy x Rise Above Visty Plush Limited Edition in Pastel Multi (€1,100) directly ties to that original Kaikai Kiki debut. For context: the original ¥62,000 retail price translates to roughly €390 at today’s rates, meaning this piece has appreciated significantly on the secondary market. Similarly, the BoTT x Verdy Visty Vinyl Figure (€382) shows how Visty migrated into the vinyl art toy space, attracting collectors from the designer toy world as well as the streetwear sphere.
BoTT x Verdy Visty Vinyl Figure
This vinyl figure brings together two of Japan’s most distinctive creative voices. BoTT founder TEITO and graphic artist Verdy combined their signature aesthetics to reimagine Verdy’s beloved character Visty in a bold, exclusive colorway developed by TEITO for the collaboration.
First, understand what drives Verdy’s collector premium: scarcity, collaboration prestige, and character narrative. Second, prioritize pieces that reference a specific moment, a show, a limited lottery, a landmark collab. Those carry the strongest story. For a broader look at how Visty collaborations span categories, explore the full Rare Inventory selection.
Verdy’s Place in the Broader Collectible Art World
Verdy previously served as artistic director of ComplexCon Long Beach 2022, ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024, and for K-Pop group Blackpink’s Born Pink world tour. NIGO first met Verdy when his collaborations with overseas brands were taking off, and he immediately became involved in designing graphic tees for the album “I Know NIGO,” co-produced by NIGO and Pharrell Williams. These are not vanity credits. Notably, each one expanded Verdy’s reach into a new audience, and each audience feeds back into collector demand for his objects.
For those interested in the broader Japanese collectible art ecosystem, the Kaiyodo Takara x Takashi Murakami Complete 10 Figure Set (2003) (€160) provides excellent context. Verdy held his first solo show at Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Murakami’s own Tokyo institution. That lineage matters. Murakami pioneered the merging of fine art with mass collectibles in Japan, and Verdy walks the same road with his own generation.
Editor’s Pick: Best Verdy Entry Points
New to collecting Verdy? Start with the Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR (€240): wearable, storied, and a clear introduction to the Wasted Youth aesthetic. Step up to the BoTT x Verdy Visty Vinyl Figure (€382) for your first Visty piece. The Rise Above Visty Plush in Pastel Multi /500 (€1,100) belongs in a serious collection: edition-numbered, exhibition-tied, and directly traceable to the moment Verdy stepped into fine art. Each of these pieces tells a different chapter of the same story.
Where to Buy Verdy Collectibles
Rare Inventory, based in France and shipping across Europe, carries authenticated Verdy objects including the Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR, the Visty Plush Limited Edition in Pastel Multi, and the BoTT x Verdy Visty Vinyl Figure. Browse the full selection at rareinventory.com for current availability, shipping options, and new arrivals across the Verdy universe.
Frequently asked questions
How many Visty plush toys did Verdy release at the original Rise Above exhibition?
The original Visty plush, released on December 9, 2021, at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo, was limited to 500 units. It retailed at ¥62,000 (tax included) and sold via lottery. In fact, that 500-piece ceiling is why secondary market pricing has climbed well above original retail.
What is the difference between Vick and Visty?
Visty is a contrast to Vick, who was a strictly black and white panda-rabbit mix and was created as a response to the pandemic. For Visty, Verdy wanted to create a colourful character to cheer people up during those difficult times. Vick operates more within Verdy’s art world; Visty is his character for broader, more playful collaborations.
Is the Wasted Youth x G-Shock DW-5900WY-2JR still a good pick for new collectors?
Yes, absolutely. Casio’s G-Shock teamed up with Wasted Youth to launch the DW-5900WY-2JR in a limited-edition capsule collaboration. It represents the first-ever G-Shock x Wasted Youth collab, carries real wearability, and tells a layered story through its beer-can packaging and hidden W.Y. backlight. For new collectors, a functional, story-rich piece at a transparent price point beats a shelf ornament every time.
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